Villains of the Apokalypsis#

This series of events is set in motion by several villains who may be acting independently or in concert.

Lutheria, Mistress of Death#

Even if the heroes killed Lutheria, the Mistress of Death can be one of the villains of this chapter. She had a pact with powerful daemonic masters on the plane of Hades. After spending years as a pitiful larva, she fulfilled her end of the bargain, and the overlords of Hades sent Lutheria back to the mortal world. Now, she lurks in the shadows of her abandoned temples, weakened but filled with a sense of renewed purpose. Seeing what has happened to Thylea in her absence has infuriated Lutheria beyond measure. The mortals who defeated her are celebrated as the new Dragonlords, while she and her husband have been forgotten. Lutheria feels that this ‘bold new world’

is a joke. Accordingly, she has prepared a much funnier and crueler joke: the total eradication of every living thing in Thylea. She will accomplish this by unleashing the Weapons of the Gods from the Nether Sea upon the surface world.

The Forgotten Pantheon#

Deep within the Sunken Kingdom, the lost pantheon of hyperions created by the angel, Phaeros, have waited for thousands of years for their chance to rule Thylea. Now it seems that their time has finally arrived. If they have not already been released from their temples by the heroes, then Lutheria releases them now. Lutheria has laid events in motion that will allow the Hyperions to ascend to godhood. She is a shadow of her former self—no longer strong enough to battle the heroes on her own. The best that she can do is unleash the Nether Titans upon the world, giving the Hyperions an opportunity to take vengeance on her behalf. Once the Dragonlords are weakened by their battles against the Titans, the Hyperions plan to destroy the heroes and take credit for saving the people of Thylea from the Apokalypsis. Then, the Hyperions can transform themselves into true gods using the three Divine Artifacts that the heroes have so helpfully recovered: the Caduceus, the Ambrosia, and the Promethean Fire.

Making the Heroes Care#

The Apokalypsis works best when the heroes have a lot invested in the fate of Thylea. This investment can be accomplished through game sessions with a focus on roleplaying. Alternatively, a game master can have the campaign skip forward by another year or two and describe how the world has changed and the heroes have prospered. If the heroes have new cities named after them, then those cities should have grown significantly. If the heroes are the leaders of a new Dragonlord order, then they should be widely revered as the new peacekeepers of Thylea. If they are kings or queens, then perhaps they have children now. If the heroes have recovered the Divine Artifacts, then they may already be on the path toward immortality. Many of the prerequisites to godhood described in appendix D can be accomplished over the course of this final, epic adventure.